


Could it Be Love This Time?

by rjwritergirl



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Modern AU, Steggy Week 2020, college sweethearts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:46:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25417903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rjwritergirl/pseuds/rjwritergirl
Summary: When she was an international student at NYU, Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers were college sweethearts. Peggy broke things off right before graduation and moved back to England. 15 years later, 38-year-old Peggy is divorced, childless, and broke. Her old college roommate, Pepper Potts, is senior vice president of Stark Industries and hires Peggy to be an accountant for SI. Steve Rogers is head of Graphic Design for Stark Industries, and on Peggy’s first day, they run into each other. Within minutes they realize they’re still in love. Will they get a second chance? Or will Peggy and Steve’s stubbornness ruin everything?
Relationships: Ana Jarvis/Edwin Jarvis, Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 4
Kudos: 46





	Could it Be Love This Time?

**Author's Note:**

> Steggy Week, day 3! Modern AU. This will be a multi-chapter fic, I’m just posting the first chapter today. And I have no idea how long it will be until the next chapter is going to be posted, so if you want notifications that I posted, follow the story.

Putting the finishing touches of her makeup on, Peggy Carter stepped back to look at her reflection in the mirror. “Now. Today is a new, _good_ day,” she repeated her mantra with a forced smile. “Sure, I’m broke, but at least I have a job and I am free of Fred.”

Looking at her watch, she shoved the compact in her purse and grabbed her keys. She surprised herself by getting to work on time. It was the first time in nearly twenty years she had taken the subway, and she was still an old hat at it, she mused to herself while she quietly sat by the front desk of Stark Industries. Pepper had told her to meet her there.

“Peggy!” But it was Tony Stark’s voice that made her turn around in surprise. “Tony!” The two of them hugged quickly. “What are you doing here? Where’s Pepper?” 

“Pepper’s white blouse managed to collide with Morgan’s strawberry toast,” Tony explained his wife’s absence. “She needs to change before taking Morgan to school. However, I’m supposed to give you this…” Tony handed Peggy a tote-bag containing a 3-ring binder, a key card, and security badge “...then take you on a tour to show you to your office.” 

Peggy put the bag on her shoulder and followed Tony towards the elevator. “Why couldn’t you take Morgan to school?” Peggy wondered. From everything Pepper had told her, Tony was a very involved father to his and Pepper’s six-year-old daughter. So it came as a surprise to see him instead of Pepper.

Tony scanned his key card at the electronic lock before he pressed a button for the elevator. “Last week, there was an...incident at the school. Suffice to say, I am no longer permitted on the premises unless both Happy and Pepper are there to ‘supervise’ me.”

The elevator doors opened. “What did you do?” Peggy asked as they stepped inside. A tall, thin, average looking man joined them, and Tony hit two buttons--one for the 16th floor and then the 30th.

“Why do people always assume it’s something _I_ did?” Tony rhetorically asked the closing elevator doors.

“Because it usually _is_ something you do, sir,” the tall man responded. Peggy was pleasantly surprised to hear a British accent.

“Is that a London accent I hear?” Peggy asked, delighted to hear a familiar accent in a city of millions.

The man gave a soft but delighted chuckle. “I was born in Amersham actually, just outside London. And you?”

“Born and raised in Croydon, but I’ve spent the last decade working in the city,” Peggy replied. Maybe the transatlantic move wouldn’t be the worst decision she’d ever make, now that she had a familiar bit of home in the building.

“Edwin Jarvis, I’m head of Cybersecurity here. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to hear the Queen's English spoken properly.”

“Peggy Carter.” Peggy shook Mr. Jarvis’ hand. “I’m the newest accountant, head of Payroll.”

“It’s wonderful to meet you.”

“Pleasure’s all mine,” Peggy returned right as the elevator doors opened and Mr. Jarvis prepared to step out. “I hope to run into you again soon.”

“As do I.”

The elevator doors shut behind him and Peggy turned to Tony, one eyebrow raising. “The incident at Morgan’s school?” Peggy prompted.

“Well, in this case, it’s only partly my fault,” Tony admitted with a shrug. “There was a little boy who wouldn't stop pulling on Morgan’s braids. When she told him to stop, he didn’t, so she punched him.” Tony took in a breath. “When he pulled on her braids again, she kicked him.”

“Well done Morgan!” Peggy congratulated proudly. “I take it the karate classes I bought for her birthday have paid off?”

Tony grinned in agreement, but the smile faltered. “Teachers got involved. Pepper and I had to go to school and have a meeting with the principal and the other parents. The kid admitted to pulling Morgan’s hair so she didn’t get suspended. That turned her actions into self-defense. But when we were going back out to the parking lot, Eldridge's father... well, words turned into fists. Now, neither Mr. Rumlow nor I are allowed on the premises of the school unless we have an entourage of people to corral us.”

“Eldridge?” Peggy asked. “Who the hell names their child Eldridge?”

Tony rolled his eyes. “His parents like to pretend they’re Rich Bitch society. Brock Rumlow is head of New York’s second largest security company.” He shook his head. “Thank God we don’t use Hydra Security, and at least Pepper and I gave our kid a normal name.”

“Didn’t Pepper suggest Pilar?” In Peggy’s opinion, Pilar was just as pretentious as Eldridge.

“Only for a hot second.” The elevator doors opened and Tony and Peggy stepped into the main area. “Then I told her the suitable nicknames would be Pill or Pilly, and she changed her mind.” They walked down a quiet hall. “This is the accounting floor. Get out your ID badge,” Tony ordered. “You’ll need that to get anywhere.”

Peggy fumbled through the bag one handed before pulling an ID badge out. Her younger face stared back at her. “You still have the picture from my internship days?” Peggy asked, genuinely surprised.

“My father insisted on keeping insanely detailed records,” Tony said, “and Pepper kept up the organizing even after I promoted her. I’m pretty sure we have pictures of every employee and intern we’ve ever thought about hiring.”

Peggy gave a wry smile. “I hope I’ll have the chance to update my badge. This picture is awful.”

“You can do that later. This is your office.” Tony stopped in front of a closed door. Peggy could see it was a keycard entry and she hovered the keycard in front of the lock. There was an almost silent click and the door swung open a few inches.

Although she was the head of the payroll department, Peggy’s new office was not huge, but the floor to ceiling windows let in the natural light to make it appear spacious. In the center of the room were two chairs, a desk, two lamps, a phone, and what she assumed was a company laptop. On the far left of the room stood a filing cabinet with a key on top; to the right of the room was a mini-fridge. It was a lot nicer than Peggy could have imagined.

“If you need any other furniture, just put in the request,” Tony supplied. “I don’t care what you do with this office as long as you get your job done and don’t start knocking walls down. There’s a work order in, so you’ll get to choose your window covering.” Tony promised.

“I think blinds would be nice, but I’ll let you know about the furniture,” she promised.

“If you don’t have any other questions, I’ll let you get settled in,” Tony said. “I’m sure I have a meeting somewhere that I’m forgetting about...” A chime came from his pager and Tony made a face. “It’s good to see you again, Peggy.” They quickly hugged good-bye.

Once the door closed behind him, Peggy turned to survey the room. She would have to reorganize and redecorate--maybe bring in a few plants and paintings to add a sense of comfort and hominess. She made a mental note to come in on Saturday, but for now, she needed to get to work.

She emptied the bag Tony had given her and then opened the laptop and logged into her employee portal. An hour later, there was a knock on her office door before it opened and Peggy looked up to see Pepper.

“How are you settling in?” Pepper asked. Peggy hurried across the room and they hugged. “I hope Tony didn’t keep you too long.”

“He left quite quickly,” Peggy promised. “I’ve just been acquainting myself with my new office and the employee portal. I was about to go to security and get a new ID Badge made.”

“I’ll walk with you,” Pepper offered. “I have a bit of a request today, but it’s not in your job description.”

“What do you need?” Peggy asked as they walked down the hall.

“Morgan’s nanny bailed on us and we don’t have anyone to watch her after school today,” Pepper said. “I’ve got more than enough things in my office to entertain her, but I’m in a meeting with some Army officials and she can’t be there for that. And the Nanny company we used isn’t able to give us a replacement until tomorrow.”

“I’ll be happy to watch her.” Peggy offered without thinking. “School gets out at 2:30 pm?”

“Morgan will be bussed here by the school.” Pepper said, “She should get here at about three. Her art teacher will meet her in the lobby and her lesson should end around three-thirty. I’ll have the art teacher bring her up here to your office. I assumed you'd say yes, so I told my assistant to have a box of Morgan’s toys brought down to your office so she will be preoccupied long enough to allow you to work.”

Peggy nodded. Together they entered the elevator and Pepper punched the button for the 16th floor. “Both physical and Cybersecurity are on the 16th floor...." Pepper continued to talk and Peggy trailed behind Pepper as she looked around the floor. She quickly waved to Mr. Jarvis before getting an updated picture taken for her ID Badge.

By the time Peggy returned to her office, there was a box of children's toys by her door. She smiled, recognizing a couple of the books as ones she'd bought for Morgan’s Christmas present. She brought the box inside and got back to work acquainting herself with her new job and coworkers.

“Auntie!” Hours later, Peggy was engrossed in numbers when she heard Morgan’s voice down the hall. “Where are you, Auntie?”

Peggy beamed as she went to her office door. “Morguna!” She cried. Morgan let go of her teacher’s hand and ran down the hall. Peggy crouched down to Morgan’s level and they hugged.

“I missed you, Aunt Peggy!” Morgan said “I’ve been going to the karate classes and I learned to kick and punch and... HY-YAH!” She executed a karate move and Peggy gasped, over eagerly.

“Really, your karate class taught you _all that_?”

“Uh-huh!” Morgan nodded, “and Miss Natasha said that I shouldn’t start fights, but I can finish them!”

Peggy looked at Morgan seriously, although her eyes danced. “That’s good advice, Morgan.”

“Mister Steve agrees,” Morgan continued chatting. “He said...”

“Who’s Mister Steve?” Peggy interrupted Morgan’s monologue.

“My art teacher. They teach art at my school, but I like sketching...” She drew the word out, “...so Mommy and Daddy asked Mister Steve to teach me how to draw.”

Peggy glanced up to see a figure approaching, Morgan’s art instructor--tall, well dressed with sandy hair--but there was something weirdly familiar. He halted in the middle of the hall, looking as dumbstruck as Peggy felt. “Peggy?” the man asked.

In that moment, with that one word, Peggy knew the Steve of who Morgan had praised. She felt her heart pick up speed in wild anticipation, then break in two. Her mind raced: Why hadn’t Pepper said anything earlier? Peggy swallowed hard and forced a smile as she greeted her former college sweetheart. 

“Hello, Steve.”


End file.
